<p>Oh yes Maglites are great- we have the same size cops use in the car. I worry about batteries running down/leaking, so we also have the plug in version.</p>
<p>I bought a Princeton Tec Attitude many, many years ago. It claimed something like 80 hours of runtime on a single set of batteries (4xAAA). I didn’t believe it so I bought one and left it on for a day and it was still working. It is small, light and I keep it in my backpack and it has never failed me.</p>
<p>I also bought a pair of Streamlight flashlights. These are designed for use by utility workers and are waterproof and can take a considerable beating. Runtime is probably 100 hours on a set of batteries. We use NiMH batteries and charge them every three or four months.</p>
<p>i just bought 3 sets of LED lithium ion flashlights that double as nite lites / emergency flashlights from Costco. They are now scattered around the house, plugged into electrical outlets. If I need a flashlight i simply lift one off its base and it turns on instantly! The brand is Eco-i-lite.</p>
<p>I love my LLBean headlight. It is primarily sold as a camping light, but it is wonderful when the power goes out, and you need to keep your hands free. The light is bright, and they are very compact.</p>
<p>I used Maglites for years and had to replace several. I think they are over rated and over priced. Also it seems most models have not been updated to LEDs. Be sure to get LED flashlights. The bulbs don’t burn out or break and the batteries last much, much longer.</p>
<p>I like lightweight yellow plastic ones found in many stores- cheap also. We have a flashlight for practically every room and in each car. Better to have multiple cheap flashlights than one good one you can’t locate. We don’t try to keep all of the batteries fresh but have some spares to use in the ones needing it when we actually need them. The night the power is off is not the time to need to go to the one place you keep the flashlight. For regular use you can have the one good one.</p>
<p>Maglites have the feature where you can focus the beam and it appears that this is difficult to do with LED lights. That said, the much lower power consumption on LEDs makes them very attractive as emergency lights.</p>
<p>I think that plastic is a better material than metal these days unless you have to hit someone over the head with one (is that what they mean by tactical?).</p>
<p>Also second the recommendations for MagLights. </p>
<p>Another brand I would recommend is Princeton Tech. You typically find their flashlights at scuba shops, however, I’ve seen them other places. They are very durable and the lights are quite bright.</p>
<p>I also bought a pair of Streamlight flashlights. These are designed for use by utility workers and are waterproof and can take a considerable beating. Runtime is probably 100 hours on a set of batteries.</p>
<p>Definitely need ones that can take a beating. that seems to be the issue…they get dropped.</p>